Diabetes Nation (Continued)

Print Email Share

The real winner in this crisis is the drug companies. Their market continues to grow. A couple of years ago, I read an article that stated the population of those with type 1 diabetes was too small to make a cure profitable enough for the drug companies to pursue. The author predicted that the future for a cure for diabetes was more likely for type 2 diabetes since the “market” continued to expand. My opinion is that drug companies are making so much money treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes, that they are not overly concerned about finding a cure.

I am one of those people that did not care about the health risks, and I now help keep the drug companies in business, pay for their employees’ vacations, and help send their kids to college. As our society continues to gorge itself and has to buy larger clothes, has any one asked how, or more importantly who, is going to pay for the medication and treatment required to treat type 2 diabetes for this expanding group? I don’t think the government and insurance companies are the answer. The aging baby boomers are going to bust the present system. The individual with type 2 diabetes will be left with paying high premiums, high co-payments, and some will be left paying the full costs of their medication.

What does it take to get people to “wake up” and start planning for the future by taking care of themselves today? While I appreciate the education efforts of the government, the American Diabetes Association, dLife, physicians, and the experiences and testimonies of others that have “been there and done that,” they are still falling on a lot of deaf ears. Waiting to “clean up your act” after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes will not leave you happily skipping through the rest of your life. I lost 45 pounds after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My blood sugars are excellent and my A1C is 5.6. My doctor praises my progress and encourages me to continue my efforts in order to ward off the serious complications associated with diabetes.

Unfortunately my efforts have not been enough. In the past two months I have begun exhibiting muscle cramps and joint pain in my legs while trying to sleep at night, and while sitting for long periods of time. My sleep is also being frequently interrupted. My doctor thinks I may be exhibiting signs of Fibromyalga. The muscle and joint pain increases when I exercise. For the past several weeks I have not exercised in order to be able to get more sleep at night. At times I struggle with not becoming depressed, discouraged, and frustrated. I have tried to manage my diabetes, and now up comes another complication.

I relay this information not for sympathy or attention, but to educate the uninformed. Simply addressing your condition after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may not be enough to hold off further complications. The time to get serious about this threat is now!

Read more of Travis Grubbs' Turn the Page columns here.

Disclaimer
dLife's Daily Living columnists are not all medical experts, but everyday people living with diabetes and sharing their personal experiences. While their method of diabetes management may work for them, everyone is different. Please consult with your diabetes care team to find out what will work best for you.

<<PREVIOUS: Read more about Diabetes Nation.<<